Every Kid In A Park at César E. Chávez National Monument

We are so excited to support the White House youth initiative Every Kid in a Park! The program allows all fourth graders attending school in the United States to get their very own Every Kid in a Park pass, which gets them and three adult guests into national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, and more for FREE! The National Park Foundation supports the program by providing transportation grants to federal lands and waters to break transportation barriers that prevent kids from getting to parks.

On October 8, 2015, César E. Chávez National Monument hosted 130 youth from two schools for an Every Kid in a Park event. For most of these students, it was their first time visiting the park.

Through a grant from the National Park Foundation, students traveled to the park where they were introduced to stories about civil rights leader César E. Chávez. They learned about his efforts to improve wages, as well as working and living conditions for farm workers. Many of the kids who visited are children of farm workers and had traveled from up to 60 miles away for the event.

Superintendent Ruben Andrade (the park’s only National Park Service employee), led the students through a tour of the exhibits and a guided walk of the memorial and desert gardens. Within the gardens, students visited César E. Chávez’s gravesite and a fountain honoring the memory of five workers who lost their lives during strikes and marches. A variety of roses named after Chávez also grow in the garden year-round.

Kids participated in a Junior Ranger program and each child received their own Every Kid in a Park Pass so they can return to not only visit César E. Chávez National Monument again, but visit all federal lands and waters across the country.

Add new comment

Connect with the parks you love. Sign up to receive the latest NPF news, information on how you can support our national treasures, and travel ideas for your next trip to the parks. Join our community.